Page 24 of Fated to the Alien Hero

The question appears to startle him. “He insisted she was dead.”

“How would he know? If she was dragged away by one of the forest creatures, why would he assume she was dead and not, instead, go search for her?”

Gary’s mouth opens and closes several times before he finally shakes his head. “I don’t know. He just came back to the settlement distraught and repeating over and over that Astrid was dead.”

“Perhaps it is because he wished it to be so,” Zander says.

The human leader’s gaze narrows. “I saw what she looked like just now. Are you sayingGradydid that to her?”

He asks it in a way that shows he does not believe it.

“The shefir does not lie,” I growl, unable to stop myself.

My mate has not stopped trembling. It is killing me to know the fear she has at being found here, and there is nothing I can doabout it now. Her secret is out. But I will not let this male or the one called Grady take Astrid from me.

“I didn’t mean to suggest he was,” the human leader says. “I just can’t believe that Grady would do such a thing.”

“Then you’re a blind fucking idiot,” a female voice calls out from nearby.Zara approaches our group, her expression fierce and angry. “That man has been beating her since before they even got to this planet, and you’re telling me you never noticed something might be wrong?”

She comes to a stop next to Benham. Her pose mimics his. More people, humans and Tavikhi, have gathered around nearby.

“You can’t stand there and tell me that not one single person in that entire settlement couldn’t see what was happening right under their nose?” She scoffs. “That’s a load of bullshit.”

Gary glances away from Zara and won’t meet her gaze. His cheeks turn the same color I have seen on the females. “There were never any bruises.”

“None that were visible,” Astrid interrupts quietly and moves from behind me to stand at my side. “Everyone knew, though.”

Zander, Benham, and Zara all turn and, as my mate moves several steps closer to Gary, they part so she can be seen by him. She releases my hand and does not stop until she stands directly in front of him. This is something she must do on her own, no matter how I wish to protect her.

“Everyone knew, didn’t they, Gary?” she asks him in a much stronger voice this time. “Or at least strongly suspected. Yet no one stepped forward to help me. Nobody came and checked to make sure I was okay when I didn’t leave my tent fordays. Everyone avoided not only me, but Grady because they knew. You all just lived in your willful ignorance, because it was convenient and easier to deal with than actually doing something to stop him.”

The human leader has the decency to appear ashamed. “For what it’s worth, Iamsorry, Astrid.”

His apology means less than nothing to me, but it is not my choice whether to forgive him or not for allowing my mate to be abused.

“I want a divorce. Or an annulment,” she announces. “Whatever it takes to dissolve my marriage to Grady.”

“That takes lawyers and a legal system. We don’t have that here.”

Astrid raises and lowers her good shoulder and stands more upright. “Then you better create one. You and Adam are supposed to be the leaders of the colony. Which means you need to fucking lead, Gary.”

“Fuck, yeah,” Zara whispers under her breath.

I have never been more proud in my entire existence.

“I’ll see what I can figure out,” he finally says.

Zander shifts. “You will not see, you will do. Yet another female has been dishonored by one of your own. What kind of leader does it make you when you allow abusers to remain unpunished?”

“I didn’t ask for this role,” Gary whines.

“Yet it is yours,” Zander points out. “You enjoy the privileges you feel it offers, but do not want the responsibilities that come with it.”

The male has no response for that, because the shefir is right. Gary’s gaze drifts to Astrid. “I’ll talk to Adam, and we’ll set some rules in place for this sort of thing. It may take a few days.”

“How will you punish the other male?” I finally ask, unable to remain silent. “The one who beat Astrid until she nearly died?”

“I don’t know yet. It’s not like we’re set up for any kind of jail.”

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